Vault-closure structure



Deel le 1923. www5 J. H. WILLIAMS VAULT CLOSURE STRUCTURE Filed July 17. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 fozucqs SJ. H. WILLIAMS VAULT CLOSURE STRUCTUrUz.

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Dec. 18, 1923. )1,478,685

J. H. WILLIAMS VAULT CLOSURE STRUCTURE Filed July 1'?. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ullulllml E :L l l vwenroz www Patented Dec. i8, i923.,

"riss l-Yhttdti JAMES H. WILLAMS, OF PHILADELPHI, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO REMING- TON &'SEERMAN COMPANY, OFIPHILIADL'PHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.'

VAULT-CLOSURE STRUCTURE."

Application led July 17, 1922. Serial No.5751,717.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it knowny that I, JAMES H. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Phila- 5 delphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inf vented certain new and useful Improvements in Vault-Closure Structures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others `skilled in the art 'to which it appertains to make and use the same. y

This invention relates to .improvements in vault closure structures and moreparticularly to a door structure mounted to revolve within the vestibule frame of a vault,-one object of the invention being to provide a revoluble door or closure which will, when open, provide a level walk-way through the saine, the floor of which shall be on the "same plane as that of the floor line of the room into which the vaultropens, so that `no up or down step will be necessary by one entering the vault through such walk-way.

A further object is to sol construct a revoluble vault door or closure in which a walk-way is provided, that the portion of the door or closure at one side offsaid walk-` way shall be counterbalanced by the portion 30 at the other sidethereof.

A further object is to provide a vault door closure which shall `be mounted on liorizontal trimmings having bearings in the respective vestibule side walls and provide'a walk or passage-way through the same which may be in line with the iioor line of a room when the door or closure is in open position',

and so that said walk or passage-way shall be disposed between and closed by the vestibule upper and lower walls when saiddoor or closure has been turned to closed or locking position.

A further object is to. so construct a revoluble vault door or closure and the vestimounted, that the door or closure shall have close-fitting engagement with portions Vof said vestibule walls without offering undue frictional resistance when the door or closure is fturned, and so that access may be had to operating mechanism for the door orv closure when necessary, to facilitate the making ofrepairs. v

the invention consist in certain `noveljfea'- bule ywalls forming the frame inwliicli it is H out intheclaims'.

In Ithe accompanying drawings; Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a structure embodying my improvements, with the revoluble door in closed andy locked position; Figure 2 v:is a horizontal sectional view on the line ofFigure l; Figure 3 is a front ele-` vation of the structure; Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the door or closure 1n open position; Figure 5 is a view in elevation showing one -of the vestibulewalls or 1nembers,'and Figure 6 is an elevation of the same vestibule wall or member with the cover plates for the pockets therein, remOYsd Y In the drawings, the-body portion of a vault at the entrance or vestibule portion 2 of the latter is vrepresented at l, and the tures as hereinafter set forth and pointed vault lining indicated at 3.

The walls 4at the entrance vestibule portion of the vault are recessed for the accomodation of approximately circular vestibule walls or members 4l, r5, andv these are spaced apart to receive a revolving door or closure betweenthem,` "as hereinafter explained.

side vestibule members 4f and`5 are conne'cted by and have'bolted thereto, a vestibule roof member 6 `embedded iii the body ofthe vault over the entrance or vestibule portionthereof and a vestibule base member 7 embedded the body l of the vault at the entrance "or vestibule portion thereof connects and are bolted to thelower portions of the side vestibulemembers t and 5,-

said Abottom member having a flat face 7" flush with/the floor line of the room into which the vault opens. Each of the vestibuleA members't, 5, 6' and 7 may consist of a hollow casting in which pockets 8 are formed said pockets being filled 4with any suitable non-burnablematerial indicated at 9, and the said pockets are closed by suitable cover plates l0 secured to said members after the pockets shall have been Afilled with the packing material.

` The' respective vestibule side members e and are provided centrallywith housings l1 for the-accommodation of bearing boxes l2 for horizontal trunnions 13 carried by the lrevoluble door -or closure, and removable covers 14: are provided for the trunnion f bearings to facilitate access thereto. With these and other objects in View,

The revoluble door yor closure comprises two members l5, 16 spacedapart to form a passage-way 17 between them, `and lparallel plates 18, 18 secured to and connecting said members. The plates 18 which form the sides of the door or closure structure are provided centrally with openingsfor the accommodation of the base portions 11a of the trunnions 11 and said base portions 11a are flanged as at 11b and these are bolted to the inside of the door plates 18 as shown in Fig-` ures l, 2 and 4. Each door or closure member is made straight on its inner side and is exteriorly curved and conforms to the curvature of the inner portions of the top and bottom vestibule members 6 and 7 as indicated in Figures 1 and and the curved exterior faces of said door members have close but freely movable contact with bearing `faces 19 formed near the end portions of said-top and bottom vestibule `members 6 and 7. At respective edges of each door members 15 and 16, bearing faces 20 are provided to have close but movable contact with bearing faces 21 formed on the vestibule side members 4 and 5.

Each of door members 15-16, is made hollow and contains a plurality of pockets closed by covers 22, said pockets containing,` suitable non-burnable packing` material indicated 'at 23. Suitable lock devices indicated at 24 may be located in one of the door membersv (or in both of' them if desired) for co'ntrol ling the operation of bolt mechanism represented at 25. and the dials 26 for the lock devices may be disposed in a countersink 27 in curved exterior ofone or both of the door members. The operating wheel 25;l for the bolt mechanism may be removably secured to its shaft 25h.

The door members 15-16 are substantially the same in weight so that one will counterbalance the other, and one of the side with the annular rack 29, and at the other4 end of said shaft (within the housing 30) a bevel gear 34 is secured. An operating shaft 35 is mounted near one end in a. suitable bearing 36 carried by the housing 30 and has secured thereto (within said housing), a

bevel pinion 37 meshing with the bevel pin ion 34. The operating shaft 35 may extend through the front wall of the vault alongside the vestibule side member 4- and is provided with an 4operating wheel 38, which may be removably secured thereto.

`the vestibule members, thus closing said door opening, While the passage-way is disposed vertically and closed by the u per and lower vestibule members 6 and 7 en the door structure is moved to open position as shown in Figure 4l', the members 4: and 5 will become disposed in the curved upper and lower vestibule members, bringing the passageway 17 in line with the door opening 39 and permitting entrance into the vault through the vestibule portion thereof. It will be observed that when the door structure is in open position, the flat inner portion of one of the door members (the member 16 as shown in Figure 4) will constitute a 'door orI walk--ivayand that the latter will be in line with fiat face 7ii of the vestibule member 7 and in line with the floor line of the room into which the vault opens, thus obviating necessity for stepping either upwardly or downwardly in entering the vestibule portion of the vault.

Various changes mightbe made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:

1. ln a vault closure, the combination of a revoluble door structure comprising two spaced members, one of said members constituting a walk-way when the door is open, and means whereby said door structure may be mounted to turn on a horizontal axis.

2. A vault closure, comprising a revoluble door having a passage-way, and means whereby said door structure may be turned on its horizontal aXis and dispose one portion of saidpassage-wayin line with the licor line of the room into' which the vault opens.

3. A vault closure-structure comprising two members spaced apart and forming a passage-way between them. one of said members constituting a walk-way,imembers connecting said spaced members, Aand trunnions carried by the connecting members inline with the horizontal axis of said closure.

4. A revoluble vault closure, comprising ltl two members spaced apart, one of said members constituting a walk-way when the door is open, means connecting said members, means for mounting the structure in line with its horizontal axis, one ot' said spaced members counterbalancing the other.

5. In a vault closure structure, the combination with upper and lower vestibule members and side vestibule members, of a revoluble closure mounted on its horizontal axis in the frame formed by said vestibule members, said closure comprising two spaced members forming a passage-way between them, and one of said members constituting a walk-way when the door is open.

6. In a vault closure structure, the combination with upper and lower vestibule members and side vestibule members, of a revoluble closure mounted on its horizontal axis in the frame formed by said vestibule members, said closure comprising two spaced members forming a passage-way between them, one of said members constituting a walk-way when the door is open,

.a loclting mechanism carried by a member of the closure structure and cooperable with members of the vestibule frame.

7. In a vault closure structure, the combination with a vestibule frame having bearing faces for a revoluble closure, of a revoluble closure mounted to turn on its horizontal axis inv said vestibule frame and having bearing faces to movably engage the bearing faces ot the vestibule frame, said closure having a passage-way to align with the opening of said vestibule frame and with the floor line of the room into which the vault opens. Y

8. In a vault closure structure, the combination with a vestibule frame, the bottom member provided with a face to lie ilush with the floor line of a room, o a revoluble closure mounted on its horizontal axis in said vestibule frame and having a passageway, one wall of said passage-way constitutingl a iloor to lie flush with said ilat face of the bottom member of the vestibule frame when said revoluble closure is in open position.

9. In a vault closure structure, the combination of a vestibule frame comprising hollow top, bottom and side members having pockets to contain packing, cover plates closing said pockets, a revoluble closure c0mprising separated members forming a passage-way between them and plates connecting said members, trunnions carried by said plates and mounted in the side members of the vestibule frame, a rack secured to one oi said plates of the revoluble closure, a pinion carried by one of the side members of the vestibule frame and meshing with said rack, manually operable gearing for driving said pinion and a removable cover plate on the side member of the vestibule trame which carries said pinion to afford access :tor repairs.

l0. In a vault closure structure, the combination of a vestibule trame comprising top, bottom and side members secured together, a revoluble closure comprising spaced members forming a passage-way between them and side plates connecting said spaced members, the side members of the vestibule frame having housings for bearings, bearings in said housings, trunnions secured to the side `plates of the closure and mounted in said bearings, covers 'for said housings and bearings, and manually operable means for turning said revoluble closure.

l1. In a vault closure structure, the combination of a vestibule frame, a closure revolubly mounted on its horizontal axis in said frame, an annular sectional rack carried by said revoluble closure, a shaft mounted in one side of the vestibule frame, a pinion carried by said shaft and meshing with said rack, a removable cover plate to afford access for repairs, a housing on said cover plate, a manually operable shaft, and gearing in said housing between said manually operable shaft and said first-mentioned shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this speciication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. WILLIAMS. `Witnesses:

JOHN JAY BROOKS, C. SANDBECK. 

